Morning journal and courier., 1887-04-15
GRADUATION EXERCISES.

moon stepped voluptuously up behind the east
 ern hills, gradually stealing it's rays over the
 house tops in this valley of elms until finally
 with it's bright silvery threads it looked this
 city of 60,000 inhabitants fully in the face,
 little did it think that in eighty five of those houses there were eighty-five souls dreaming of the morrow, when the l acme of their school life would
 be reached. The sun came up, burying the | moon from view. These souls awakened with
 futtering hearts to see the sunlight, which
 foreshadowed beautiful day, and they were
 cheerful. But soon the sun slipped artfully
 around behind a bank of aeeting clouds
 which skirted the heavens and then these
 hearts began beating to and fro with fast
 rapidfty for fear the night in which laid
 their glory should be stormy one. But it
 was not.
 The crowd that thronged the doors of
 Carll's Opera House foretold that some un-
 usual event was to occur. It was the grad
 uating day of the Hillhouse High school
 class of 's7. At o'clock Principal Curtiss
 rang the bell and the curtain was
 rung up, displaying in the rear,
 arranged by Vice Principal Whitmore,
 a temporary arrangement of seats extending
 back nearly into the flies, in successive rows. These rows were made up of 315 scholars of
 the High school, from the lower classes. The
 music, which was in the hands of Prof. Jep-
 son, was of high order of merit. Imme-
 diately after the curtain went up then march
 ed in the young lady graduates-dressed in
 white and bedecked with little boquets-
 charming in their bright looks. They were followed by the young gentlemen who were
 to graduate. All took seats on the stage | The opening prayer was made by Rev T. ! s. Samson, after which the song, Rejoice We," was rendered by the class.
 The first essay to be read was by Marie Louise Turner. Its subject was ''Post Nor | tenn Honors." From time immemorable it has been the practice to honor the dead. All nations honor their distinguished dead, every respect beftting their memory being made | It is often that man Is not appreciated till | he is dead. Take for instance Burns, the | poet, He died in poverty. What is the | memory of Burns to day His name is hon | ored by everybody. It the same homage had been shown him while living how different might have been his life. Far better is it | that we may turn from the graves of the dead resolved that we will pay more respect | to the living. The erection of a monument for the dead is the most important post mortem honor. Death is but the door through which we enter life immortal. Let us strew the graves of loved ones with flowers, and keep fresh all that is pure and noble in those lives. Miss Turner, in finishing, was greeted with applause, her essay being one of extra ordinary merit.
 Hippolyte Washington Gruener next de- ivered an oration, the subject being "The Scholars Place in Life" The following is portion of the speakers remarks: ''In all ages there are certain men who stand above their fellows in learning and civilization. To these the world owes more than it is ready to admit This class has made itself known through the ages as pioneers in education and learning, which all will admit. Great men have been able through their own efforts to raise ignorant nations to civilization. The place which the scholar has held had been according to the class of people in which he dwelt. In every direction the labors of the practical man have been greatly frightened by the researches of the men of learning. It has been for the scholar to work and plan so as to help the practical man in the workings of higher civilization"
 "Are we all Plagiaristsf" was the subject of Miss Sara Bretone Wilkinsons essay. She said that plagiarism, as generally under stood, is the act of appropriating other peo ple's ideas and passing them off as your own. Our minds and character are formed by what we read; and our language is an in-
 
 high substantial standing 1t will elevate our minds till we are able to understand the great thoughts of others. Who would imag- inc a Milton employing hour after hour in reading light literature of the day. Milton came after Shakespeare, and it is likely that he used thoughts from Shakespeare. It is probable that the latter also borrowed. The speaker described plagiarism defined by Milton. He has modified the term so that we may all consider ourselves outside the do main of plagiarism.
 At this iuncture the song, ''The Sweet Spring. was nicely rendered by the class, with Prof. Jepson as leader, and Richard T. Percy, 'S6, as pianist.
 "Gladstone and Ireland" was the subject of an oration by Curtis Clark Bushnell next The speaker told the tale of Ireland's wrongs with an excellent show of oratory. In con- clusion he said: ''The power of his eloquence and the perseverance of his industry has commanded the admiration and the respect of statesmen, not only of England, but the entire civilized world. Gladstones efforts for the amelioration of the condition of Ire land-the most restless and unhappy country in the world-will remain the brighest jewel ID his crown. Gladstone's work for Ireland has not ended. He has put in progress a revolution that is sweeping along and we'll for the future of the Emerald Isle. A brighter day is dawning for Ireland"
 After the selection, ''And the Glory of the Lord" from the oratorio Messiah" came Miss Cora Lucia Fiske. Her essay was on the Romantic Epochs of History" Miss l Fiske said that all history is more or less l interwoven with romance. Who is not ia | miliar with the romance of the middle ages? l Tennyson enchanted these legendary TO- | mances by dressing them in poetry. What | greater romance is there than that at | tending the career of Napoleon! The speak | CT gave very interestingly many of the TO- mances of early history and of the romantic | incidents connected with the discovery of | America by Columbus. She also told of the | romances of the different discoveries in the | country by Raleigh, the Cabots and others; | and of the death of Lincoln. Thus in the | history or the United States we find the | same romantic things as in mythical history. | What can be more touching tributes of love | than the graves of dead heroes2 |
 Abraham Loeb Mays oration was on | Gladstone and Ireland" For the past | seven hundred years, he said, England has claimed Ireland as her own. Who has done more to alleviate the Irish than Gladstone! He showed England that Ireland must be governed by Irish laws. It was his idea to give them their rights, they who had so long been subjected to terrible oppression and tyranny. Gladstone entered public life as Tory, but now he is 8 Liberal. The change is a re- markable one. He has been the only one who was willing to sacrifice his position to help Ireland. The franchise is much higher in Ireland than in England, especially regards Roman Catholics. Gladstone by certain measures incurred the enmity of the Protestants. Who can be sur prised to see the Irish disturbed? If Glad stone could be successful in securing the lib erty and establishing local government in Ireland, the educational advantages would soon be as good as Eng lands. England might learn much from her daughter country, the United States. Let us hope that liberty and freedom will be grant ed to not only Ireland, but to all countries. The next number on the programme was 8 musical selection, Country Fair Waltz Song," sung by the class.
 Miss Clara Elizabeth White next read a carefully prepared paper on 'Post -Mortem Honors." Miss White is pleasing speaker and was listened to with marked attention. She said that of all places to allow traspas- ses of our taste was not over the defence less dead. If we must write an epitaph, let it be humble and brief, and by all means | have it truthful. In conclusion she review ed the regalistic tributes paid to our great military leader, Grant, and said that the American people had distinctive character | istics of their own relative to the honors paid